ROSES HAVE THORNS - Chapter 41 - Tempest Fury

Usami is a beautiful classmate with good morals and top grades. At school, she views Sakuto as her rival. But when he bumps into her after school, he sees a different side of her. She was playing at an arcade after classes, and she had this innocent smile that one couldn’t imagine on her at school.For the sake of getting along with her, he gets close to her at school and then plays together with her after school. They each have their places where they can deepen their bonds, and at last…This is the start of a heart-warming love triangle romcom!

I’m a proud NEET who’s devoured every romance novel, manga, webtoon, and otome game out there.Just when I thought I’d conquered it all, a black bunny appeared in my dream.“Congrats! You’ve been chosen to help villains win across multiple worlds!”“Like a game?”“Uh . . . sure.”“Great, I’m in!”And just like that, I became an agent of the Villain System.Time to rewrite some happily-ever-afters—villain style.**[NOTE!]** This novel features multiple short arcs, each exploring different tropes such as ancient China, the modern world, beasts, werewolves, vampires, fantasy, school romance, idol groups—you name it! The twist? Each arc focuses on our MC making the villain (male) triumph over the male and female leads.The story is written primarily in 2nd and 3rd person POV for a dynamic and immersive experience.|| Excerpt ||[WARNING! MATURE Content Ahead!]“Then serve me . . . properly.”The command was both sensual and authoritative, and Xue Li’s pulse quickened under his intense gaze. The air between them grew heavy, her trembling hands faltering as she began to run the sponge across his chest, her touch featherlight against his scars.“Y-yes your majesty.”Xue Li’s hand trembled slightly as she dipped the towel into the warm, fragrant water, her breath catching as she squeezed it out over Han Feng’s shoulders.The water cascaded down his chiseled frame, tracing every ridge and contour of his muscles. She swallowed hard, focusing intently on her task, though her heart raced like a drum in her chest.She began at his shoulders, her touch gentle as the towel glided over his skin. His scars, a mix of old battles and untold stories, caught her attention, and she hesitated for a brief moment before continuing.The warmth of the water mixed with the heat radiating from his body, and the intimacy of the moment sent a shiver up her spine.Han Feng leaned back slightly, watching her through half-lidded eyes, his expression unreadable. “Slower,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that made her pulse skip.Xue Li obeyed, her movements becoming more deliberate as she ran the sponge across his chest, down the defined lines of his abdomen. Each stroke felt unbearably sensual, her fingers brushing his skin as she worked.She tried to maintain her composure, but the proximity to him, the sheer physicality of his presence, made her feel as though the air had thickened.When she reached his arms, he extended one lazily, letting her clean him as though it were his divine right. Her hand moved carefully, trailing down his forearm to his wrist, her touch so soft it almost tickled.Han Feng’s silence was oppressive yet charged, the pressure of his gaze pinning her in place.As she lowered the sponge to his torso again, her hand faltered briefly near the sharp line of his hipbone. The water ran over his skin like liquid fire, and her breath hitched when she noticed the slight curve of his lips, a hint of satisfaction playing there.“You’re trembling,” he said, his voice velvet smooth, making her flinch.“I-It’s the steam, Your Majesty,” she stammered, though she knew it was a poor excuse.Han Feng chuckled softly, the sound deep and rich. “Hmm . . . Is that so? Then you have no problem cleaning my cock right?”Xue Li's eyes trembled, on the verge of tears, which seemed to please Han Feng. His smile grew wider as he urged her on.“Go on. You're going to serve me properly, aren't you?”

Suddenly pulled into a world filled with Specters, Fang Xiu woke up with a unique ability: Reset. Every time he died, time would rewind to the moment before he was killed.In this strange and dangerous world, Fang Xiu could have chosen to hide. Instead he announced to the world, “Yes, I’m a prophet. I can see the future!” As his predictions kept coming true, his title of the Prophet spread around the world.His words became the truth. They became the future.“I have seen the future,” he announced, attracting people from all around the world.His followers took it to the extreme, declaring, “Should the Prophet decree your demise one day, don’t waver, don’t question, just obey. For hesitance only leads to a far graver fate.”During a B-level Specter event, known as [the Spawning]A teammate warned, “The creature is hiding among these villagers. We need to be careful.”Fang Xiu pointed to the last row and commanded, “The one in white. Yes, you. Come out!”In an A-level Specter event, called [Lantern Heads]One teammate warned, “This area is crawling with thousands of Lantern Heads. If they shine their light on you, your head will fall off. The scariest part is the Lantern Heads float unpredictably. It’s impossible for anyone to get across safely. Wait, where’s Fang Xiu?”Another stuttered, “He, he…he’s on the other side!”The first teammate exclaimed in disbelief, “What?! How did he get across?”The other replied: “He…he just walked over.”

“The masterminds are cooler than heroes,” I mutter as I stare at the chess pieces before me. It is easier to be the one who sits in the shadows and moves the pieces, likewise deciding the flow of the game.Heroes will foolishly sacrifice their lives for the good cause and villains will sacrifice the world for their own gain, but masterminds will use both the heroes and villains to their own benefit.Why, you ask? Well, that's because I've lost my life once while trying to be a hero so, I don't want that anymore. I'd rather be a mastermind who molds the world as per my convenience and live peacefully. Because, why not?***[Defender of Divine Glory says you are the hope of this world.]What?[Goddess of Wisdom believes that you will be the one to save the world.]Wait, what?![Propose the Grand Duke the idea of a fake marriage.]And, why would I do that?![Stop the assassination of Prince Eric.]Why would I save him?![The candidates for the throne are:... Who will you choose?]Ah! I give up...It seems like a curse that anyone who wishes for a slacker life in Isekai will have to go through the most troublesome things.In my past life, I died because of one rookie mistake but after being transmigrated in the world of fantasy I've gotten an opportunity to start afresh, but unlike the protagonists who look for their love and glory, I'd rather make money and live a life of a slacker.I have magic, I have power and I have money, what else do I need?Well, that was the plan but this damn system is getting on my nerves. I mean who in their sane mind would want to mess with the complicated royal family and political affairs? But that's not all though.I've also become the saviour of this world. Things just can't be anymore worse!Besides, the penalty of failing this quest is...[Failure: Destruction of the World.]It seems like if I screw up in selecting the right person then the destruction that is going to befall the world won't be stopped.If I speak of my reward then it's this vague thing.[Reward: Fulfillment of any wish.]“If that's the case then, I'd rather choose the person who would be the best fit for the throne.”And that's how I decided that I would become the Kingmaker.